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“You take it or I’ll pour it down your throat you mutinous little barge,” Smithe snarled, Mia only shook her head and pressed the covers harder against hermouth.
“Mia, please,” Dekker said and got the sameresponse.
Devin watched the men for a few more moments then moved over to Mia’s dressing table and leaning against it facing her he slid her hair brush to the edge where he could easily set his hand on it. “Mia,” he called, gaining everyone’s attention. “Do those potions help? Behonest?”
“Mostly,” she admitted keeping the blankets up to protectherself.
“Then I think you need to drink it,” Devin said and tapped the brush with hisfingers.
“No,” Mia stated adamantly. Then her eyes went to his tappingfingers.
“I want you to drink it if it’s going to help,” Devin said picking up the brush he turned it around in his hand casually enough he knew it looked like he toyed with it to everyone but Mia. Her eyes went wide. “You know how we deal with mutiny on thisship.”
“Captain?” she whined athim.
“Mia.” He smacked the brush down on his palm. “Drink it. Be a good wife and do as I say.” He smacked it a second time with more force. Mia dropped the covers, snatched the cup and swallowed it back then spent a long while making dramatic gagging and choking sounds. Devin set the brush aside, stepped up to the bed, kissed her on the head, and said, “What a perfect wife you are.” He strolled out of the room then with a smile and the confidence of knowing even with the commodore there next to her, Mia would defer tohim.
Devin made his way downstairs then out through the kitchens to the top of the walk that led to the beach. He wouldn’t go down without Mia, but the smell of salt air reached this far with the winds coming off the waters. It was calming and after today he neededcalm.
The whole of the navy was up in arms. The pirates struck again and this time some viscount or such was killed. They’d actually talked about sending Devin back out being he’d successfully taken them on. It could truly mean years more at sea and years away from Mia. Not that he believed for a minute she’d not follow him to the waters but with the pirates now arming themselves it was a far different, more dangerousmatter.
“You’ve found a strapuseful?”
Devin spun around to see the commodore stepping up beside him. Both men turned to face the water. “Useful, if not distasteful. It rarely takes more than a harsh scolding but she has a strong will and a defiantnature.”
“I took a ship from her once because she was irresponsible with it,” the man said clasping his hands behind his back as Devin often did. “She has never forgiven me that actand—”
“Actually she’s never forgiven herself,” Devin informed him and didn’t miss the man jerking his head around to stare at him. “We had a chance to discuss it, as she made the same kind of mistake with me. I corrected with less… permanentmeasures.”
The commodore went back to staring at the horizon. “I knew Mia would want to visit her mother once beforeleaving.”
“You were in the cemetery.” It was a statement. Devin didn’t need to have itconfirmed.
“What you said to her about her being my child, about it being common for siblings to wish each other gone,” the man said then cleared his throat. “I wish I’d been able to tell herthat.”
“She wouldn’t have heard it fromyou.”
“Perhaps. My Molly was a treasure. I had no purpose at all until I foundher—”
“Literally, as I understandit.”
The man chuckled. “Yes literally. After though, I knew I needed to do everything in my ability to give her what she and Mia deserved. It didn’t even take a year and I’d been able to buy two more ships, By the time Mia was three I had nine. Everything Molly wanted or needed was hers. But she only wanted to sculpt.” He laughed. “You should have seen the ragged dress and apron she wore to work. Beggars had better, but… I wed her when she was only four months gone. I delivered Mia,” he said holding out both his hands. “She came right to these, so very small, screaming out a storm to scare the life from you. But Molly stayed out of my bed until she was ayear.”
Devin turned to look athim.
“Aye, I didn’t force her, I made sure she and the child had everything. When she came, she came on her own. Charles wasn’t our first child. Molly lost three between Mia and him. And when he came, and he lived,” he shook his head, “I did forsakeMia.”
“Not intentionally.” Devin looked at him. He hadn’t thought a pirate, even one not totally a pirate, could look so vulnerablyhuman.
“No, no of course not. Mia… she’s always been everything to me. Maybe that’s why after Charlie was born I tried to spend so much time with him. I knew I favored Mia. Molly knew I did as well, so I think she gave the boy more attention. It was for such a short time, I don’t know what would have happened had they lived. Somesiblings…”
“Mia is a loving woman, I can’t think she wasn’t also one as a child. I can’t say I liked my brothers, but I did and do love them. And now… well there’s always more than one side of the same coin.” Devin lifted his face to the wind. “Why do you tell methis?”
“The woman in the office today,” he started then stopped, stepped forward and turned to face Devin. “She’s Mia’saunt.”
“What?” Devin all but yelled then clamped his mouth shut. “What?” he hissed. “Mia didn’t say she had morefamily.”
“Because she doesn’t,” the man was serious in his tone. “Those people abandoned her, left her and her mother for dead in the middle of the god forsaken sea and it’s only to ease their own conscience before they are dispatched to hell they seek outMia.”
